Tee plate for golf courses



Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

GHARLEY ERICKSON AND ROBERT TAYLOR, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TEE PLATE FOR GOLF COURSES.

Application led October 21, 1922. Serial No. 596,028.

To all whom t magy concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLEY ERICKSON and ROBERT TAYLOR, citizens of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the l county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tee Plates for Golf Courses; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention provides an improvement in what is known as tee plates used on golf courses at the starting point, to indicate to the player the starting line. IIitherto, these tee plates have been made sometimes round, sometimes in the form of balls, but never in any particular form adapted to indicate the direction of the hole.

On a full golf course, there are usually eighteen holes, which would require the use of thirty-six tee plates. Many golf courses have what is known as double tees, that is, a starting place to two different holes from the one tee. Strangers to courses of the above character find difficulty in locating the hole beyond the teeing-oil' point.

As a feature of our improved tee plate, it is made in the form of an arrow or otherwise formed with marks or lines so that they serve as points that may be directed toward the next hole beyond the teeing-olf point. Also, these improved tee plates have tee line indicating projections or marks that indicate the exact line in front of which the ball cannot be teed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective illustrating the use of a pair of our improved tee plates on a golf course;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing one of the tee-plates removed from the ground; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a tee plate showing the same positioned on the groupd.

The body of our improved tee plate is preferably in the form of a stamped or cast Ametal arrow 4 having depending anchoring pins 5. At the place of junction of the pins 5 to the body 4, the latter is preferably formed with hubs or bosses 6 that engage 55 the ground and hold the body of the plate above the surface of the ground so that the grass will not be killed under the plate. The arrow-like bodies 4 arey made in rights and lefts and, on their inner sides, areprovided with projecting tee line indicating lugs 7. On their front and rear portions,- the arrow bodies 4 are formed with raised sights or sighting lugs 8.

Fig. 1 illustrates the manner of applying two cooperating teev plates and, by reference thereto, it will be noted that the imaginary dotted line 9 between the lugs 7 gives the player the proper position for teeing off. Also, th@J arrow plates point in theV direction of the next hole and clearly indicate to the player the proper direction in which to tee oil'. Preferably, the tee plates are located so that, by sighting across the sights or lugs 8, the exact direction of the hole beyond the teeing oli` point may be determined. However, as the hole isA a considerable distance from the teeing line, the two arrow bodies, positioned 'as just stated, will not deviate much from parallelism. In any case, however, the arrow-like tee plates guide the player with considerable accuracy toward the next hole. Obviously, the tee plates 1 may be very readily moved slightly or otherwise from one position to another, so that they will not spot the grass and, moreover, it has already been noted that even when left for any considerable time in any certain position, they will not smooth the grass because their bodies are not directly pressed against the grass. l'

What we claim is:

1. A tee plate having a depending anchoring means and a projecting lug, the latter indicating the teeing-oliu line, the said tee plate also having at front and rear portions sights for indicating the line to the hole beyond the teeing-oif point.

2. A substantially arrow-shaped tee plate having depending anchoring means and a projecting lug, the latter indicating the teeing-o' line, the said tee plate also having at front and rear portions sights for indicating the line to the hole beyond the teeing-of point.

3. A substantially arrow-shaped tee plate 5 having a projecting lug for indicating the teeng-O' line and formed on its under Side with `bosses and depending anchoring pins. 4. A substantially arrow-shaped tee plaie having at one side a projecting lug for indicating the teeing-off line, provided on its under side With depending anchoring pins and on its top with front and rear sights.

In testimony whereof We aix om` signatures.

OHARLEY ERICKSON. ROBERT TAYLOR. 

